I'm Back and Trying to Be Better

I figure it’s time to open the doors and windows around here and blow the stink outta the place. OK, it isn’t really that bad, but all the same, I really don’t want to give anyone the impression that I’m closed for good, I just needed a little time to regroup and collect myself (I was a little bit scattered all over the place, to say the least).

Anyhow, I’m back and I’m intending to stay here for quite some time. I do plan on posting a BATTLE OF THE BANDS ON February 1^st and for many firsts and fifteenths to come. If you’re new to BATTLE OF THE BANDS (BOTB) come back on February 1 and check it out, or scroll back for a look-see. Please feel free to join the rest of us in this bi-monthly blog hop (if that’s the route you choose, please leave me a note and one on Mr. McCarrthy's Site so, you get added to the Primary List of participants). 

If you didn’t know this before, I actually started this in an attempt to post something on my site when I had nothing else to say. Mr. Stephen T. McCarthy picked up on it and encouraged me to join with him and make it a bi-monthly endeavor. Others started to join in and…as they say…’the rest is history’. I do love music, but admit…

So, now tell me what you been up to since the first of the year? Can you believe that the first month of 2015 is already gone? Did you think I was closed down for good? Did ya miss me? Awe, I know you did, so many of you left kind comments and I want you to know I truly appreciated that!

 

CHANGES

BATTLE OF THE BANDS RESULTS & IWSG 2015

Right out of the box, I think 2015 is going to be a fun year for BATTLE OF THE BANDS. We have several new participants and the BATTLES put up on January 1, 2015 were exciting, innovative and just a whole lot of fun. I’m excited for another calendar year of ‘Musical Battles’.

My first BATTLE of this New Year was fun, at least for me. I really like both version of this little wintery tune; ‘I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm’. There are a lot of covers of this 1937 tune by Irving Berlin. Here’s what Wacky Watchee has to say about it.

"I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm" is a popular song written in 1937 by Irving Berlin. It was introduced in the musical film On the Avenue (1937) by Dick Powell and Alice Faye. Les Brown's instrumental version, arranged by Skip Martin and recorded in 1946 as Columbia #38324, became a million-seller and Billboard top ten song in 1949. That same year vocal group The Mills Brothers also had a chart hit with their version on Decca #24550.

Although not strictly a Christmas song as the lyrics make no mention of the holiday, the tune has been recorded for many artists' Christmas albums and is a standard part of the holiday song repertoire in the U.S.

Well you can’t beat a million-seller, you guys proved that right here. The voting goes as follows:
                Les Brown and his Band of Renown        12 votes
                Django Reinhart                                  5 votes

Those totals don’t include my vote, cause it wouldn’t make one speck of difference in this BATTLE. I do cast my vote along with the majority and give it to Les and his band. Can’t top that Big Band sound for me either, but I do have to say I don’t think you could go wrong with a vote for Django if you’re in a mellower mood. It’s my opinion that both of these versions are winners.

Pop around to all of the other participants and see the outcome of their BATTLES. As always I’ll be back on the 15^th of the month with another BATTLE OF THE BANDS. Thanks for your votes and support

In another matter it’s the first Wednesday of the month and time for the INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT GROUP. This is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh and to learn more about it and see the linky list of participants head on over to his site and get the details. You can do that by clicking HERE.While you’re there take a moment to give him a big THANK YOU for all of the efforts involved in the IWSG and also THANK this month’s co-hosts.

When it comes to my writing 2014 was a bit shaky for me. I was dealing with some health issues that made it hard to sit for long periods of time and my level of concentration was worse than my normal state of ‘dumb blondeness’. By the Fall I had gotten the health issues pretty much under control and started back with some critiques of other peoples work. This is something that really helps me get excited about writing again. I set some goals for 2015 and was all ready to go. No insecurities there. I had a real feeling of ‘I can do it’. THEN…

Right after Thanksgiving I applied for a job. This employer had a three part interview process. Step one: a one on one interview. Sept two: a group interview. Step three: a one on one interview specific to the position you applied for. It was a process of elimination and you needed to make it through each step to proceed to the next.

I proceeded to step three where I interviewed with the guy who was second in command of the whole operation. We had what I thought was a pretty good interview and at the end he told me that I really interviewed well. ‘As a matter of fact’, he said; ‘this is the best interview he had had.’ During the course of this interview he also talked to me about two positions other than the one I had applied for. When I left he told me I would be hearing from them.

So…this past Monday I get a ‘Thank you, but NO Thank you’ email from them. To say I was disappointed would be putting it mildly. I was shocked, disappointed, saddened and well, to tell the truth it brought up ALL of my old insecurities about EVERYTHING.

I know this has nothing to do with my writing, but on the other hand it has everything to do with my basic feelings of insecurity and mental meanderings into the realm of ‘I’m not good enough’. Friends have suggested that perhaps they thought I was over qualified for this particular job, or that I would become bored and not be a long-term employee. My insecure self thinks I simply was not good enough.

I’m working to put this behind me. I really didn’t need this job, but I wanted it. It really is not reflection on whether or not I can write a good story and have a good story to tell, BUT…

How about you? Are you generally as insecure as this or do you confine your insecurities to your craft?

We were supposed to tell something about ourselves in this IWSG post, but I think you get a pretty clear picture of me and my general insecurities from the above. ‘Dumb blonde, who struggles…with way too much!’

NEW YEARS DAY 2015 WhooWeeee! What do you say we get this party started or if you’re like me; let’s finish up the party from last night.

 Before we go a whole lot farther let me give you the top ten or so reasons why my BOTB post is late today.

·       

  I’ve had house guests since 12/24 (family)

·      

   We’ve been having fun, mostly (too much)

·        

 II burned my hand rather badly on 12/30 (dumb blonde here AND a major klutz)

·      

   Went out and partied last night (hey, I live in Nevada. These towns never sleep)

·       

  I’m a major procrastinator on my best days (chose the song a while ago, but didn’t look for competitors)

·      

   Had a Margarita at 1:30 AM (only one, but I’ve been on an autoimmune protocol diet for six months – meaning no alcohol, caffeine, or sugar)

·      

   Came home and popped a bottle of champagne at 2:30 AM (SEE ABOVE)

·       

  I just woke up and promised the family breakfast (I don’t usually have people to cook for, so I’ve been having fun with that also)

If I keep going I would just be making things up, but all of the above are true. /typing is painful and tedious, so let’s get on with it.

Today’s song is one that was played a lot with the Christmas tunes, but I don’t really think of it as a ‘Christmas Song’, so I’m using it for January 1, besides it’s 3 degrees outside this morning.

This is a tune written by Irving Berlin. I’m not up for a lot of yak about it this morning, so maybe I’ll tell you more in my results post (or maybe not; we’ll see). It has been covered A LOT, but to keep it simple I’ve selected two instrumental versions.

First up

And the challenger is

Now it’s your turn. Leave me a comment with your vote and tell me why. I don’t even care if you go on for pages and pages with your analysis, or if you want to do your own Bullet Point comment, but for heaven’s sake vote.

After you’ve finished up here. Go on over to MR. BOTB  himself (I’m sure my calling him THAT will insult someone, but what the hell, let’s start the year off right, shall we?)  Stephen will give you a list of all the BOTB participants. Please try to visit everyone. I’ll be back on the 7^th with my vote and the results of this BATTLE. See ya then, or maybe even before – ya never know for sure with me.